Uttarakhand faces acute shortage of gynaecologists

There are 250 sanctioned posts in state-run institutions, but only 60 gynaecologists actually working in them.About 6,000 deliveries occur in the state each month.

| TNN | Updated: Oct 4, 2014, 06:54 IST

DEHRADUN: State-owned hospitals in Uttarakhand have 250 posts sanctioned for gynaecologists, but only 60 of these have been filled, said Dr GS Joshi, director general of the department of health and family welfare. Finding qualified gynaecologists willing to serve in the state is a challenge, officials say.
The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the state, according to the annual health survey report of 2010, is 43 - which means that for every 1,000 live births, 43 infants in the state die before turning one year old.

Senior government officials, however, say the shortfall of gynaecologists has no link to the IMR. "We have over 250 posts sanctioned for gynaecologists, of which 60 doctors are working. Like with all other specialists, there is an acute shortage of gynaecologists," said Dr Joshi.

Health officials say ideally, each of the state's 13 district hospitals should have at least five gynaecologists. Each of the state's 90 community health centres should have at least two gynaecologists. The state has 15 combined hospitals, and these too should be equipped with all facilities and staff necessary for safe deliveries, officials said. In a month, about 6,000 deliveries take place in the state. Health Department data showed that in 2012-13 the state had over 83,000 deliveries.

The acute shortage of gynaecologists also means that those actually working are over-burdened. A gynaecologist at the Government Women's Hospital in Dehradun said, "Everyday more than 25-30 deliveries take place here. We have six gynaecologists who run between operation theatre and OPD. It's just too much. The hospital cannot offer better service unless more doctors are recruited."

The rural people in the state's hilly areas arrive at the primary health centres for delivery. To ensure safe deliveries in the rural areas, the state aims to overhaul 20 delivery points with immediate effect, spread across the thirteen districts. Joshi, told
TOI, "We cannot get the required number of doctors right now, but we can upgrade the existing system to provide better facilities for delivery."

The 20 delivery points selected include seven district hospitals, and all the general hospitals. The state aims to provide round-the-clock services with a dedicated team of staff nurses, officials said. According to data from the 2011 census report, the sample registration system put the IMR in the state at 34; the maternal mortality figure was shown as 162 per lakh.

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